On July 14, 2023, the Hollywood actors went on strike after breaking up the dispute between the screen actors and the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Producers. The strike has coincided with a Writers Guild of America (WGA) convention. The committee voted unanimously to recommend a strike to the union’s national board, officially approving the strike. The strike broke out due to the lack of disagreement over streaming residuals, the regulation of self-tape auditions, and studio usage of artificial intelligence to scan actors’ faces to generate performances digitally.

Stephen Amell opposes the SAG-AFTRA strike, calling it a “reductive negotiating tactic”

“I  support my union; I do, and I stand with them, but I do not support striking. I think it is a reductive negotiating tactic, and I found the entire thing incredibly frustrating”.

Amell Continued. “Yeah, so I feel like I am insulted in Hollywood because, that’s where I live, like all the stereotypes that exist. I feel like there are a lot of people in this room who aren’t aware of the strike”. Several fans took to the comments to chastise the actor for his anti-strike sentiments. One Instagram user wrote, “You truly have failed this city, scab,” referring to a popular line Amell’s Oliver Queen uttered on his hit CW series Arrow. Another fan mentioned that Amell likely did “get into trouble today with sagging and had to remove his posts promoting his new show.”

 

Also Read: What is SAG-AFTRA Strike? Why Are Hollywood Actors Mutinying Against the Movie and TV Industry

SAG-AFTRA actors’ strike against AMPTP

Members of the SAG National Board stand in solidarity |
Members of the SAG National Board stand in solidarity |

While the SAGA-AFTRA Strike affects around 160,000 television viewers, the Guild of Movie Actors puts forward the issue of employment protection and artificial intelligence technology.  The actors are represented by the union SAG AFTRA, which includes some of the most prominent faces in the entertainment industry. The strike is against the group of studios known as AMPTP, which includes major companies like Amazon, Apple, Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. Discovery.

The strike means the members can’t participate in any film or television production or take part in any promotional events or work. During a press conference, SAG-AFTRA president Fran Drescher and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland formally announced an actors’ strike would begin at midnight on July 13.

“SAG-AFTRA negotiated in good faith and was eager to reach a deal that sufficiently addressed performer needs, but the AMPTP responses to the union’s most important proposals have been insulting and disrespectful of our massive contributions to this industry.”

Also Read: Upsetting News For ‘Dune’ Fans Amid SAG-AFTRA Strike Comes Out

SAG-AFTRA strike delays Hollywood productions

SAG-AFTRA STRIKE
SAG-AFTRA Strike Halts Hollywood

The strike has almost brought Hollywood to a halt, which severely affects film and TV crews as well as ancillary workers such as caterers and set designers. Streaming digital AI has transformed the entertainment industry, resulting in dwindling residual financial compensation based on reruns and syndications of DVDs. The majority of actors depend on residuals to meet their livelihood when they aren’t working, excluding the A-list actors. Another demand from the actors is protection from AI replacing their content right to digitize their replicas. Screenwriters also protest against the producers removing traditional writers’ rooms and replacing them with freelance writers’ rooms.

The strike delays several shows and films that are still in production, including Deadpool 3, Gladiator 2, Beetlejuice 2, Wicked, Andor, and the new season of American Horror Story.

Also Read: “It’s all about greed”: While Disney and WB Play the Miser Card, This Small Budget Oscar Winning Studio Has Agreed to All of SAG-AFTRA’s Demands

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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